Fire Chapter 1: The War Barge
by Wren Sharpbeak
Summary: Speculative first episode for season 3. After fleeing Ba Sing Se, the gang tries to stop a Dai Li war barge from attacking Hakoda's ships in Chameleon Bay.
1. Ch 1 Deceived

"My brother is just too easy."

Zuko's hand froze over the door handle. He had been on his way to talk to his sister, but hearing her comment from inside, he thought better of it and instead ducked into the shadows outside the room to listen in on her conversation.

"I'll say!" chirped Ty Lee merrily. "One moment he's ready to beat you up and the next he's helping you take out the Avatar. What did you say to him anyway?"

Azula's wicked grin could be heard as she spoke. "I offered him something I knew he could never refuse…father's love. Like he ever had it to start with." She spat. "But he's too blind and weak to ever know that, which makes it the perfect tool for manipulating him. All I ever have to do is hold out 'love' in front of him and he falls all over himself to get it."

Ty Lee giggled, "Or fall all over Mai."

"Don't remind me," interjected Mai with a bored groan.

Ignoring the remark, Ty Lee continued, "So what are you going to do with him and Iroh now?" Azula smirked evilly.

"I'm going to send them home, of course. Let Zuzu take Uncle back to Father thinking he is a hero. And when he gets there, the Fire Lord will have the pleasure of punishing them both as they deserve, leaving me the sole heir to the throne."

"But what if he captures that Avatar kid on the way? Won't that mean he's next in line for the throne again?" asked Ty Lee. Azula uttered a short cruel bark of laughter.

"Please, the Avatar was just an excuse to send Zuzu away. No one had heard so much as a whispered rumor about the Avatar in a hundred years. Father sent him to wander around chasing legends until he died. How could he have known the brat was actually alive and that Zuko would try and use that to come home? A rather embarrassing situation really, since he has already made me the heir. But with Zuzu and uncle finally out of the way for good, there will be absolutely nothing to challenge my rule when the time comes."

Hearing this from outside the door, Zuko's eyes widened, and his mind raced. _No!_ He thought to himself. _She's lying!_ _Azula always lies!_ A small voice in his head, which sounded strangely like his uncle, countered; _yes…she always lies…to YOU. She lied to you in the caverns and you believed her. She never needed your help. She used you to keep you out of her way so that she could take you down in the end…she has always wanted to see you fall._ With a sickening feeling, Zuko realized something terrible: he had made the wrong choice.

Slinking silently back to his room, his mind whirled in turmoil as moment after moment flashed across his memory: his uncle's many acts of persistent kindness, the Avatar's comment after they had escaped from Zhao, being pulled half conscious from the snow rather than left to die, the water bender's offer to heal his uncle after that nasty showdown with Azula, her willingness to try and heal his scar the night before, and that look she gave him as she left with the Avatar. He had thrown all of it away at one lie from Azula, and now he was trapped in a prison fashioned by his own selfish actions.

As far as he knew, the Avatar was dead. Azula's blast of lightning to the back was sure to be fatal. He suddenly realized that never in the time he had chased the Avatar had he actually tried to kill the boy. All he ever wanted was to use him as a ticket home. Now he was gone. His one false hope at returning home with honor was gone: ripped from him by his lying sister. The sister that was about to send him to his death.

By now, he had made it back to his room and, closing the door, he sank down on the floor in despair. _What have I done?_ _What am I going to do now?_

* * *

Katara tossed restlessly in her makeshift stone tent, courtesy of Toph, unable to sleep. She'd done the best she could to heal Aang. The burn at least was mended but his spirit, his sweet carefree spirit, was broken, and she knew that that was beyond her ability to heal. Feelings of rage, guilt, and hopelessness washed over her in wave after wave of bitter confusion. To think she had almost wasted that precious healing water on Zuko. _ZUKO!_ What had she been thinking? After all the things he had put them through, how could she have been so easily swayed by his lies? _He had sounded so sincere, so hurt, so changed, s_he thought to herself. But it had all been an act and she fell for it. And the price for that misplaced trust was that Aang almost…_NO!_ She screamed in her mind. _I won't even give in to that idea. Aang will be fine. The water was not wasted and he will still make it through this. He has to. He…_ She dissolved into helpless tears as her despair finally took her into darkness.

* * *

Iroh sat in his cell, his brow deeply furrowed with concern, well aware of what awaited him. He knew he would be taken back to the Fire Nation and be judged (killed) by his bloodthirsty younger brother. But it was not his own fate that filled his heart with grief. What troubled him most, even now, was that Zuko would not be getting the homecoming he expected and his punishment this time would not be a scar and banishment. It would be death.

With a heavy sigh, Iroh wondered how it had come to this. He thought of his beloved son killed so many years ago, and how he had latched on to his young nephew as a result. Through all the things Zuko had suffered, Iroh believed that deep down, the boy still carried a seed of love and hope. He believed that somewhere, Zuko had true honor and would do the right thing. Thinking back on the recent incident in the caverns, Iroh realized he had been deceived, but not by Zuko. In a desperate attempt to recapture the son he had lost, Iroh had fooled himself into thinking that Zuko was not like Ozai, that maybe, just maybe, the young prince would be able to see beyond the forced destiny of carrying out his Grandsires insane war.

How could he have deluded himself all these years? Zuko had sided with his sister, possibly killing the last hope for the entire world. The tears fell freely as Iroh bowed his head in despair.


	2. Ch 2 Defeated

Azula sent for him the very next day. _She's not wasting any time_, he thought to himself bitterly. But it didn't matter: he had already sealed his own fate, and had resigned himself to facing it. Still, he wasn't about to let her think that he hadn't figured it out. If he were lucky, she would end his misery on the spot and spare him the journey home.

_Home._ The word lingered in his mind. _How many times did I dream of going home? Has death always been what awaited me? Even if I had caught the Avatar, would it have really mattered?_ For the first time since he was banished, he realized and accepted with heart-wrenching clarity that, with or without the Avatar, he was never intended to go home. This harsh reality only made his present situation even more painful. _Not only did I make the wrong choice, I made it completely oblivious to how pointless everything I've done for the last three years has been. _Success would not have redeemed him, and his betrayal of his uncle had surely condemned his soul. How many other lives had he destroyed trying to fulfill a lie?

"Well, brother," Azula crooned smoothly, petting a messenger falcon as Zuko entered the room, "this should be an exciting day for you. Father has requested that you personally bring our traitorous uncle home to him."

Zuko only nodded. Perhaps it was best just to play along. Suddenly, he simply didn't care anymore. Whether he died by Azula's hand or his fathers, the result was still going to be the same. At least if he kept up the pretense, he might have a chance to see his uncle one last time.

"When do I leave?" He asked.

"Today," Azula replied. "There is an Earth Kingdom war ship anchored at the southern docks waiting to sail you to Chameleon Bay. Rumor has it there is a small rabble of Water Tribe guarding the cove. They will need to be taken out, so you'll be accompanied by a regiment of the Dai Li to assist you. The prisoner is already being transported to the docks, so as soon as you are ready, you may depart."

"I'm ready."

* * *

Silence hung over the small group like a death shroud. Gone was the playful banter of the close-knit clan of friends, teasing each other as they went about the daily life of helping the Avatar fulfill his destiny to save the world. Each of them now wondered how they had managed to be cheerful before, and felt certain they would never feel that old joy again.

Ba Sing Se was now under the control of Princess Azula with the help of her treacherous brother, Prince Zuko. There would be no army now to invade the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun and Aang still needed to master fire bending with no hope of finding a teacher. Finally, Toph broke the stillness.

"So what do we do now?"

No one answered.

"Well?" she pressed, beginning to sound irritated. Normally this would have at least aroused a comment from one of the others, but today there was no response.

_It's not just Aang's spirit that is broken_, thought Katara painfully. _It's all of us._ Aang may have been healed of his physical wound, but the emotional damage to the gang had run incredibly deep. They had come very close to losing him, to losing all hope for the world, and everyone knew it. The friends that had once been an almost unstoppable team were now crumbling into the despair of a near fatal defeat. Aang was not invincible. For the first time since they had started this journey, the possibility that the Avatar may not be able to save the world had suddenly become a crushing reality.

"I'm going for a walk," Toph said, rising to her feet. As she walked out of the camp heading down towards the river, she halted for a moment. "Care to join me, Your Majesty?" she added without looking over her shoulder. Having nothing better to do and still being in shock over the recent loss of his kingdom, the young ruler followed.

As they got a short distance from the others, the king looked down at the blind girl walking next to him. Still feeling completely out of sorts, he cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Was there…uh...something you needed to discuss?"

"Not really. But there are things _they_ need to discuss that we are probably best left out of." She replied smoothly. The king, however oblivious he may have been to what had been going on around him for years, still picked up on Toph's tone of voice.

"You mean that _I_ am best left out of." He said, sounding defeated. Toph stopped walking and sighed.

"With all due respect your Majesty, you aren't exactly in a position to lead or help. You lived your entire life completely unaware of what was going on right under your nose, let alone the outside world. I'm not blaming you…well, not much anyway, but you have to admit, things are going to be a lot harder now that you are with us. Can you fight?"

"No."

"Do you have any allies outside the city?"

"No."

"Do you have any ideas at all of where you can go to be safe?"

"No." he said sadly, hanging his head.

"So you see our dilemma."

"Yes."

They stood in silence, the king looking out over the river that wound its way to the city's southern walls while Toph stared blindly at the horizon, "looking" at the king with her feet. Suddenly he tensed and Toph was immediately on her guard, settling into a defensive stance and searching the area for intruders.

"What's wrong?" she asked. The king glanced at her, bewildered at how could she know something was wrong. "You tensed up, what happened?" she demanded. The king spluttered for a second.

"Uh, it's just…that's my ship below us!" he cried in indignation.

"Your ship?" she asked. "You have a ship?"

"Yes," he replied with just the faintest hint of pride, "the royal war barge."

"War barge…tell me what you see!"

"Not much from this height, but I know that's my ship."

"Where does this river lead?" she asked, as a sense of dread settled over her.

"Chameleon Bay," he replied, confused.

Without a word, Toph started heading back to the others with a confused and out of breath king trailing in her wake. When they arrived back at camp, Sokka was already getting on his feet, having seen Toph's expression of worry as she approached.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know yet," Toph replied. "I need your eyes to find out for sure."

Sokka raised an eyebrow and Katara looked up in surprise. It was unusual for Toph to need anyone, let alone say it.

Toph explained, knowing full well what they must be thinking despite her inability to see their expressions. "There's a ship leaving the city docks and I want to find out who's on it. But I can't 'see' across the water."

"Then let's go have a look," Sokka replied, strapping his boomerang to his back and picking up his unusual looking tribal machete.

"I'm coming with you," Katara chimed in as she rose to her feet.

"Me too!" said Aang, hopping down from Appa's head. At this, everyone stopped and looked at him. Katara shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea, Aang." She started, then hurried to finish as she watched his face darken, "you're still weak from last night and need to rest up, and…"

"I'll be fine!" he shouted. "Just because we had a close call last night doesn't mean I can just sit back and hide from what I have to do. I'm still the Avatar." He looked desperately to Toph and Sokka for support.

"Aang," Sokka started gently, "that's not the point…"

"Isn't it?" Aang growled irritably, cutting him short.

"Actually, no," Toph interceded, "it's not."

"Huh?" All three uttered in unison, turning to look at their blind friend in disbelief.

"Well, we can't exactly take His Majesty and Sir Teddy Bear with us. I need a good pair of eyes and possibly a quick plan, so that means Sokka." The young warrior blinked in surprise then quickly puffed out his chest and beamed happily at the uncharacteristic compliment as Toph continued, "plus, if things get ugly for some reason, a water bender could come in handy down near the river. And since you have three elements mastered to mine and Katara's one each, you're the best qualified to protect the king while we check things out." The group looked at each other and realized there was no arguing with her logic. Taking their silence as agreement to her statements, Toph started heading out of the camp.

"Let's go."

* * *

Zuko stood on the deck of the ship, looking out at the river ahead of him. His uncle was being taken below. He hadn't even been able to look the old man in the eye when they did. He knew he should have said something but he just couldn't seem to will his mouth to form any words. What would he have said? Even if he had been good at making apologies, which he wasn't, there wasn't any amount of 'I'm sorry' that could undo his crime. Glancing around at the Dai Li on the deck, he wondered absently how long they had been ordered to keep up the charade.

Finally going down into the hold of the ship, he got his answer as the familiar grasp of stone hands clamped down on his wrists, jerking them together in front of him, and holding them fast. He didn't even flinch as one of them said with a sneer, "The Princess Azula decided it was best if you could reflect on your fate while we took you home," and they led him to the cell where his uncle was being detained.


	3. Ch 3 Determined

Toph had managed to get them all down to the riverbank quickly and without detection, and the trio now hid in the brush, looking out over the water at the impressive war barge.

"Well?" asked Toph anxiously.

"Zuko's on board with a bunch of Dai Li," Sokka said darkly, peering at the boat. He hesitated for a moment then continued sadly, "They have Iroh in chains and are taking him below deck."

Toph's jaw hardened as her lips settled in grim determination. "Then we're busting him out of there."

Katara and Sokka nodded in agreement, their faces mirroring Toph's own. "Ok, here's the plan…" started Sokka as the three of them hunkered down into a conspiratory huddle.

* * *

Iroh said nothing, did not even raise his head as Zuko was tossed unceremoniously into the small metal cell. Once the door had slammed shut and the Dai Li had left, he finally turned to look at his nephew. What he saw made his heart break. Never in all his life, not even after that fateful Agni Kai, had Zuko ever looked so utterly defeated. Everything about him showed a spirit that was broken and devoid of all hope. He opened his mouth to speak, but this time he could find no words of wisdom or comfort. So he merely closed his mouth again and looked back down at the shackles that chained his feet to the wall.

Meanwhile Zuko sank to the floor and waited for his uncle to say something, _any_thing: to berate him for his lack of judgment, to scorn him for his betrayal. But Iroh said nothing, leaving the doomed prince to drown in his own despair. At last, Zuko forced the words from his throat, his cracking voice echoing the shattering of his heart as it flew into a thousand tiny shards.

"I'm so sorry, uncle." He didn't even try to stop the burning tears as they etched a path down his face.

"Why, Zuko?" Iroh breathed, his heart aching at the scene in front of him.

"Because I am an idiot," he wept. "Azula…always…lies. And I always believe her anyway. You told me to look inside and decide what I wanted. I wanted fathers love and she offered it. But she lied. And I am a fool."

Iroh watched helplessly as Zuko's shoulders heaved with unrestrained sobs, and realized to his deepest sorrow that there wasn't even enough chain on his restraints to go over to his nephew and comfort him.

* * *

Katara, Sokka, and Toph made their way quickly along the river floor in a pocket of air as the talented water bender kept the flowing currents at bay around them. Seeing the edge of the boat almost directly above them, she instructed everyone to take a deep breath and collapsed the bubble as Toph lifted the ground beneath them, whisking them to the surface. Without a word, Katara bent the water around them one at a time and sent them rocketing up to a large, open porthole on the side of the ship. The barge had a number of them lining the hull. Once inside, they found themselves in a long galley running almost the entire length of the ship. It was filled with neatly stacked pyramids of boulders, roughly twice the size of a man's head, situated by each opening. Sokka couldn't help but admire the strategic possibilities as he quickly realized that the boulders were meant as ammunition to shoot out the portholes. The ship itself was made of a combination of stone, wood, and metal, allowing Toph to ascertain quickly the whereabouts of the crew and the soon to be rescued prisoner.

"This way," she whispered and led them down a metal hallway. "I think he's down here."

They continued on for a few moments before stopping at a cell. As Toph took a stance to bend the metal door off its hinges, Sokka put an arm on her shoulder.

"Wait!" he hissed. "There's a key." And sure enough, there was a key hanging on the opposite wall. Grabbing it quickly, Katara unlocked the door and stepped into the small room.

* * *

Iroh's head snapped up as he heard the key turn in the lock. Zuko, still slumped along the wall behind the now opening door, didn't even move as it pressed against his feet, keeping it from opening all the way.

As Katara pushed against the heavy iron door, she noticed a slight resistance but paid it no mind. Instead, she simply stepped aside to let Toph in the room, whispering to her brother to stand guard just a bit outside.

"What are you doing here?" gasped a surprised Iroh.

Katara shushed him as she stepped into the room, gently easing the door behind her to provide more room. As she did so, she spotted the second figure, just now looking up at her.

"You!" she hissed, fury flaring in her eyes as she drew out a stream of water and crouched to attack. To her utter surprise however, Zuko only looked down and whispered.

"Just end it quickly."

For a single heartbeat, she stood there dumbfounded, the water whip almost settling down into a puddle before she snapped it back up in seething rage. _It's a trick, and I am NOT about to fall for THAT again_ she railed silently in her mind. Meanwhile, Toph was answering Iroh's question.

"We knew you'd been taken prisoner and couldn't let you face punishment for helping us," she stated simply, already starting to work on the first of Iroh's chains.

"That's…very considerate of you…but," Iroh stammered. Katara didn't let him finish. Without taking her eyes off of Zuko, she spoke up.

"It's the least we could do." Finally turning to look at the old fire bender, since Zuko was showing no signs of even acknowledging their presence, she continued, "You helped us in the North Pole and again last night. If it weren't for you, Aang and I would have never made it out of there alive."

At these words, Zuko's heart leapt with the faintest glimmer of optimism. Maybe all hope for the world wasn't lost after all.

"He's still alive?" he whispered.

"Yes, he IS, no thanks to you!" she spat, whirling to face him again. She fully expected to see him disappointed at the news, but was shocked to he see he looked…_relieved_? _Of course,_ she admonished herself, _now he can start the chase up again and…wait. Is he…shackled?_ Now she was really confused, but didn't have much time to reflect on it for Toph was talking again.

"Yes, he survived, but it was a close call. And we owe his life to you, Iroh. So once we are out of here you are free to go where you want. But," and here she hesitated, "Aang does still need a fire bending master to teach him and we thought that maybe…" she trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished, instead focusing on the last of Iroh's chains.

Standing slowly and rubbing his now free wrists, Iroh sighed heavily.

"I am very grateful for your help in freeing me, and it would be a great honor to train the Avatar in the art of fire bending..."

Katara and Toph both smiled hopefully, but their faces fell when he continued.

"…But I am afraid I cannot leave my nephew here to face his death alone."

At this, Zuko glanced up at his uncle, words failing him for only a moment. As he rose to his feet he said, "No, uncle, go with them. I made my choice. It was the wrong one," the regret and sorrow was clear in his voice, "but I'm prepared to face the consequences of my actions. All of my actions," he finished with grim finality.

Katara simply looked from one fire bender to the other in shock, her eyes finally resting on the resigned teen.

"Death?" she gasped. When Zuko gave no reply, Iroh answered.

"He is being taken back to the Fire Nation to face execution." He said, his words heavy with heartache.

"But…I thought…." Katara stammered. She didn't have time to finish forming her thoughts into a coherent statement as Sokka popped his head in at that moment.

"We have to go!" he whispered as he stepped into the now crowded cell, starting to close the door behind him. "There's a guard heading this way and…AAAAH!" The sentence ended in a girlish yelp as he finally noticed Zuko standing before him. His arms flailed about wildly for a second before he settled into a fighting stance with a look on his face that was supposed to be menacing, but instead just looked ridiculous. Zuko merely sighed and lifted his rock-bound hands, indicating to the surprised warrior that he was no real threat.

Toph was already at the other end of the tiny room, focusing her energy into a sharp stab at the metal wall, and tearing an opening that lead to the same long galley they had entered through when they boarded the ship.

"What are we going to do about him...?" Sokka started before Toph interrupted.

"We don't have time for this! That guard is getting closer!" she hissed urgently. She grabbed Sokka and pushed him into Iroh, forcing them both through the newly made gap. Katara needed no prompting and followed behind them into the galley, rushing past them to the nearest porthole and quickly bending up a chute of water and freezing it in to a slide. Hopping on it, she bent a hole into the water below where they could make their escape undetected.

"You too, Princey," Toph said roughly, grabbing the now slack jawed prince and shoving him through to the other room.

"But...I…" he stammered, trying without success to resist the diminutive earth bender.

"Move now, argue later!" she snapped, and all but tossed him down the slide, face first, before gritting her teeth and following suit.

* * *

The Dai Li guard noticed the open door and, without even looking in to the room and spotting the torn wall, he hurried off to tell the captain the bad news. The prisoners had escaped.

* * *

Aang was miserable. It didn't take long after his friends had left for him to realize he'd been duped. While there certainly was logic to what Toph had said, the truth of the matter was that they really were just trying to keep him out of harms way. Of course, after last night, he had to admit he couldn't really blame them for being over protective. As he absently bent a stream of water around the camp for Momo to chase, he reflected on what had gone wrong.

Why exactly did Zuko attack them? They had just rescued him! And Iroh had insisted that there was good in him, a statement that Aang had wanted so badly to believe. His mind still churning, he thought again on what he had seen when he had broken down the wall to where Zuko and Katara were being held. _Why had they been standing so close? What was Zuko doing to her? Had she been touching his face? Had they been…? _He forced the idea from his mind. That was stupid. Katara had no love for Zuko, he was certain of that. Still, the thought lingered like a raw burn and he realized that, in that moment when he'd seen them together, he had been extremely jealous. He remembered the angry glare he had shot at Zuko and wondered now if that had really been necessary. It had certainly set him off. _So what were they doing then? _Just what had he interrupted?

He looked over at the Earth King who was sound asleep with his head resting on his bear Bosco. And what were they going to do about him? They couldn't take him along, but where was he going to go where he'd be safe? Aang was still mulling over these problems when a sound from Appa jolted him out of his reverie.

"Are they back, buddy?" he asked hopefully. Rising to his feet, he turned to look at the ledge where he could hear footfalls. As a head came into view, his mind reeled in shock.

It was Zuko.


	4. Ch 4 Revelation

Aang's heart stopped for just a moment before he sprang into action. Whirling his staff over his head, he shot a powerful blast of air at his enemy. His mind didn't even register the binds on Zuko's hands as he dodged the blow, nor did he hear Katara's urgent cry to wait. He rushed forward in fury, ready to strike Zuko down when he collided with something large and furry. Slamming into the side of Appa's head, he let out a small "oof" before thudding to the ground. Quickly, he whipped himself back to his feet and started shouting at Appa, who had planted his head firmly between Aang and Zuko.

"Appa, get out of the way," he snarled. "What's the matter with you?"

Appa merely looked at his young companion and let out a reproachful moan. A soft chuckle stopped Aang from advancing further.

"Perhaps the sky bison remembers that it was Zuko who freed him from Lake Laogai," said Iroh cheerfully.

"What!?" gasped Aang, Katara, Sokka, in unison.

"He..." Sokka stuttered.

"…Rescued…" continued Katara in disbelief.

"…Appa?" finished Aang.

"No way," said Sokka firmly.

"Ask the bison!" Iroh shrugged innocently.

At this, Appa gifted Zuko with a large, slobbery, wet tongue, knocking the surprised boy off his feet and onto the ground.

"Eugh…" Zuko grimaced, looking down in disgust at his now dripping clothes.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Katara found herself biting her lip to keep from giggling at the soaked prince while Sokka and Aang continued to stare at Zuko with their jaws hanging open. Finally recovering somewhat, Sokka started ranting animatedly.

"Wait a minute. First, you chase us halfway around the world for six months trying to capture Aang, and when you actually get a chance to steal Appa you rescue him instead, _then_ you try to kill Aang last night, and today you are sorry about it. What are you, schizophrenic, or something?"

"Or something…" Zuko mumbled under his breath, trying to avoid everyone's eyes.

"I…" stammered Aang as he scratched his head in embarrassment and confusion, "I don't know what to say…"

"A 'thank you' might be a good start," snorted Toph, who was now lounging inelegantly against a boulder and apparently amused by the whole situation.

"Um…yeah…thank you," said Aang meekly. After a moment of silence, Zuko responded solemnly.

"You're welcome." And silence descended over the group again.

"Well," Toph drawled, "now that that's out of the way, what's our next move?"

"Actually," said Iroh with a slight grin "I think perhaps someone should bring the young Avatar up to date first. He still looks a little confused."

"Easy enough," stated Sokka, turning to Aang. "When we went to check out the ship, we saw they had imprisoned Iroh and we decided to rescue him. Then we found out that Freaky Fire Chick betrayed Angry Jerk so Toph felt sorry for him and dragged him along since Iroh wouldn't agree to be your fire-bending teacher if we left him to die. That about sum it up?" he finished, looking at Toph and Katara.

"More or less," shrugged his sister weakly, but Aang still looked bewildered.

"What do you mean by 'left him to die'? You mean Iroh?"

"And Zuko," replied Iroh gravely. Aang looked dumbly at the old general, more confused than ever.

"But, he _helped_ her. Together they nearly _killed_ me!" he cried, only barely catching out of the corner of his eye that Zuko winced as he said this. Turning to Zuko he asked, "Why would she want you dead after that?"

Zuko was having a hard time dealing with this situation. More than anything, he wanted to be alone so he could think things through. But he wasn't in a position to be going anywhere and, as much as he wanted to address Aang's question so he would drop the matter, the pain of the answer was unbearable. It was one thing to bear his soul to his uncle in the privacy of a prison cell, but he wasn't about to do the same thing in front of this group and if he had to say the words once more, he feared he would break down again. He clenched his jaw tightly, trying to maintain control as he forced the words from his lips.

"Because I was never meant to return home, with or without the Avatar," he said with obvious pain. He continued, "I was meant to spend the rest of my life chasing after legends. When it was discovered you were actually real and alive, it ruined my fathers plan. Azula is now heir to the throne, and neither she, nor my father wants that to change." He was breathing heavy now, desperately trying to hold back the sobs.

"So all of that time chasing Aang…" Katara whispered softly.

"Was for _nothing,_" finished Zuko bitterly.

"Sucks to be you," Sokka breathed, with more than a small amount of compassion in his voice.

"Sokka!" reproached Katara sternly.

"Well...?" he shrugged helplessly.

"Ok," piped up Toph. "So now that all _that's_ aired out, can we _please_ figure out what we're going to do next?"

"Toph!" exclaimed Katara in exasperation, "how can you be so insensitive?"

"I'm not being insensitive, I'm being practical. While Sir Teddy Bear and His Majesty are sawing logs over there and you guys are getting in touch with your emotions, there's a ship full of Dai Li agents who have more than likely figured out that they're missing a couple of passengers." At this, Zuko remembered his conversation with Azula before he left and his head snapped up.

"She's right," he said as everyone turned to look at him in surprise. "Someone needs to warn the ships in Chameleon Bay." Hearing this, Sokka's face paled.

"What you mean?" he asked with worry creeping into his voice. Zuko looked at the young warrior earnestly.

"The Dai Li on that ship have orders to take out a small fleet of water tribe ships so Azula can bring her troops into Ba Sing Se. No one else knows about the coup yet, so they won't be prepared for an attack from what they think is an ally ship."

Remembering the vast stores of ammunition on the barge, all the remaining color drained from Sokka's face.

"They don't stand a chance," he said in a horrified whisper.

* * *

"In all my life, I never would have dreamed I'd be riding a flying bison," Iroh marveled happily. He leaned out over the edge of Appa's body looking down in wonder at the land below as the rag-tag group sped urgently toward the bay. Zuko, whose hands had been unbound so he could hang on for the trip, was laying flat across the bison's back clinging for dear life. He gasped as he saw his uncle peering over the edge and frantically grabbed for the old man's foot.

"Uncle! Are you crazy? You could fall off this thing!" he shouted with alarm.

"Zuko, this view is amazing!" he crowed happily over his shoulder, ignoring his nephews concern. "Come and look!"

The terrified teen merely gritted his teeth and glanced around at the others. Only the blind girl seemed to be sharing his discomfort. Moving carefully without getting up, he maneuvered his way over to her, hoping to find some small measure of solace. So far, she seemed to be the most approachable in the group, probably because she had considerably less bad history with the exiled prince.

"I don't know if I can take much more of this," he said as conversationally as possible but still unable to hide the panic in his voice.

"Don't worry," she replied, "we're almost there."

"Really?" he asked hopefully, not daring to look at the ground to see where they were. Then seeing her sarcastic playful grin, he remembered she was blind and scowled. He would have smacked his forehead but that would have required him to let go of Appa's fur and he wasn't ready to do that.

"That's really mean, you know that?" he muttered.

"Get used to it," Sokka said ruefully from his position nearby. At this, Toph just laughed.

"Fresh meat!" she grinned. "Sokka was getting too easy anyway." After a few moments, she whispered conspiratorially to Zuko, "Watch this."

"Sokka, what's that?" And she pointed into empty space.

"What's what?!" he cried, looking in the direction of her finger. "Hey…"

Toph cackled and even Zuko had to stifle back a laugh. It _was _pretty funny, but he wasn't accustomed to showing his amusement at anything and wasn't about to start now.

"Does he always fall for that?" he said, still repressing the urge to chuckle.

"Every time," she said with a smirk, then she yelped as Appa took a sudden dive to towards the ground.

* * *

The sun was setting as they landed on a small cliff overlooking the cove where Hakoda's ships were anchored. After a brief discussion, it was decided that only Aang, Sokka, Katara, and the King (with his bear) would go down to talk to the water tribesmen. They didn't want to have to go into lengthy explanations about what they were doing with a couple of fire nation fugitives until they had a chance to explain the situation fully. So Toph stayed behind to keep Iroh company and keep an eye on Zuko with strict orders from Sokka to keep the banished prince rock-cuffed at all times. Appa would also stay and rest after his hard flight and Momo opted to stay with Toph, curling up in her lap with a contented croon. Iroh was already nestled down in Appa's fur, snoring soundly.

"Don't forget to keep him cuffed!" shouted Sokka over his shoulder as they left.

"Yeah, yeah," returned Toph with a complete lack of concern. "Just bring back some food." Once the others were gone, Toph turned her head in Zuko's general direction.

"Comfy?"

"You have to ask?" Zuko replied sarcastically. The rock cuffs were anything but comfortable, and they made it difficult for him to lie down and get the rest he so desperately wanted. He paid hardly any attention as Toph stood up and walked over to where he lay on the ground trying unsuccessfully to get into a position where he could rest. Without a word and faster than he would have ever imagined possible, the girl shot her hand towards him and snapped the cuffs into powder. He rolled onto his back to look up at her, startled. Rubbing his sore wrists, he mulled this new development over in his mind as she made her way back to the rock 'pillow' she had made when they landed.

"How do you know you can trust me?" said Zuko carefully. He didn't want to arouse any suspicion since he really wasn't planning on doing anything, but he also wanted to know why she had released him.

"I don't," she replied shortly, "but letting you thrash around all night will keep _me_ awake. Now shut up and get some sleep." After a few moments of silence, Zuko called out softly.

"Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah," she replied with that same unconcerned tone she had used with Sokka. "Now go to sleep." But the exhausted fire bender was already lost to a dreamless slumber.

* * *

Hakoda's happy reunion with his daughter was cut short by the grim news his children brought. Wasting no time, they had all settled in the main tent, eating as they formulated a plan. Sokka was proving very helpful in ironing out a strategy using the knowledge of what he had seen on the barge, and Hakoda couldn't help but be proud of his son.

It was very late by the time the details had been worked out. Aang and Katara were already fast asleep in a corner of the tent, and Sokka was rubbing his bloodshot eyes. The Dai Li ship wouldn't reach the harbor until the next afternoon so Hakoda ordered everyone to rest in preparation for the next day's battle. They had much to do and would need all their energy to get it done.


	5. Ch 5 Realization

Zuko awoke to the sound of arguing.

"I thought I told you to keep him cuffed!" shouted Sokka.

"He's not exactly _dangerous_ when he's sound _asleep_," retorted an irritated Toph.

"That's not the point! What if…" but Sokka didn't get to finish as a hard stamp of Toph's foot sent the ground beneath him crashing up and throwing him onto his butt with a loud thud.

"Would you two knock it off," snapped Katara,"you're going to wake them up," as she gestured at Iroh and Zuko.

"Too late," came Zuko's weary reply as he rolled over into a sitting position, and quickly grasping his temples as he did so. His head ached and his stomach rumbled painfully. It had been three days since he'd had any food and the sudden movement made him nauseatingly dizzy. Toph apparently heard or felt the loud gurgling emanating from him and smoothly steered the conversation in another direction.

"So did you guys bring food or what?"

Sokka merely glared at her, rubbing his wounded pride as he stood back up, while Katara answered by taking off the large bags slung around her shoulder and setting them in front of Toph. Momo was already digging through one and swiping a few choice pieces of fruit. Taking his prize, he jumped to the top of Appa's head and sat down to his meal. Iroh was now stirring as well, somehow sensing the presence of food. He yawned and stretched as he stood, his old bones complaining loudly in the chilly, early morning air. Toph held aloft a hunk of bread, a piece of fruit, and some dried meat in his direction and he took it happily with a gracious 'thank you'. She then thrust some food at Katara.

"Take this over to Princey before he passes out." She could feel his arms wobbling as he tried to push himself off the ground. Katara glanced over at Zuko and saw what Toph had already noticed through the vibrations in the earth; his face was ashen and he swayed dangerously in his effort to move.

"Oh! Don't get up," she said, hurrying over to him with the food in her arms. She laid one hand on his shoulder to steady him as he half collapsed back into a sitting position, his vision obviously reeling. In that moment, he was no longer her enemy, but merely a boy who was sick and weak from hunger.

"Here," she continued kindly, pressing the food into his hand, "eat this; it will make you feel better."

His ears were ringing so loudly from his near swoon that he could barely hear, so he merely nodded in appreciation and began eating, too disoriented and hungry to be embarrassed by his weakness, and only vaguely aware of her gentle touch. She stood over him for a second and then, satisfied that he wasn't going to faint, went back to the bags and grabbed some fruit for Appa, letting her mind stray as she fed the flying bison.

She still didn't know what to make of their newest addition to the group. Iroh she trusted and had no problems with him being among them, but Zuko was another matter. It was very hard to forgive and forget all the pain and hardship he had put them through, especially recently. But at the same time, he hardly seemed like the same person. Looking over at him while she fed her shaggy friend, she saw no trace of the arrogant and vicious prince who had fought against them just two days ago, but rather the sad, and regretful young man who had tumbled to her feet in the crystal catacombs. Maybe Sokka was right. _Maybe he _is_ schizophrenic_. She didn't much care for that idea. If it were true, it meant he was still very dangerous.

The fact that Toph seemed to trust him did give her a small measure of comfort though. The blind earth bender's unique way of seeing gave her a lot of insights into what people were really like; she could tell when others were lying, and could sense the physiological changes of their emotions. If Zuko were trying to deceive them, Toph would know instantly.

Feeling a pair of eyes on him, Zuko looked up from his food to see that Katara was indeed staring at him. She held his gaze thoughtfully for a moment, as though trying to read his mind, before calmly turning her attention back to Appa. As his head began to clear from the renewed vigor his food brought him, he let his brain examine for the first time how he had come to be in the Avatar's little 'gang'. Even though his mind was active, however, it seemed strangely detached from him and it meandered numbly from one random thought to the next.

He had meant it when he said he was prepared to face his death. At the time, he had even welcomed the idea, as it would have put an end to the misery, shame, and hopelessness he felt. But that earth bender, Toph, had wrecked that when she dragged him along. In a small way, he resented her for it, but on the other hand, he couldn't help but feel grateful too. He may have been _prepared_ to die, but that didn't mean he really _wanted_ to. It wasn't in his nature to quit, after all, but he had certainly been ready to give up before he was yanked from that cell.

Still munching his food, he looked idly around at the others. Sokka was already heading back down to the beach, grumbling some instructions about how they should go to the water tribe camp when they were finished eating. Zuko knew that the young warrior didn't trust him, and didn't blame him one bit. He'd done nothing but cause them misery for months and Zuko's appalling decision two days ago had nearly brought about the end of the Avatar, as well as the boy's little sister.

_Big brother and little sister_, he mused, _like Azula and me._ His brow furrowed a bit at the thought. _No_, he realized with a wistful pang, _nothing_ _like Azula and me._ The relationship between them was completely different. The water bender was nothing like Zuko's own conniving, spiteful, and malicious sibling. She was infinitely kinder, and acted as a sort of mother to everyone in the group including her older brother. He absently marveled at how she could be so strong-willed and yet compassionate at the same time. After every terrible thing that he had done since he first wrecked that tiny village in the South Pole, she had still been willing to try and heal his scar.

At this thought, a wave of new guilt came crashing over him with heart wrenching agony as he realized that his uncle wasn't the only one he had betrayed in the catacombs. This water tribe girl had trusted him, cared enough about him despite his horrid behavior during every encounter they'd ever had to actually try and help him, and he had thrown it back in her face at a single false promise from Azula. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted.

"You're a noisy thinker, you know that?"

Zuko blinked and looked up in surprise at Toph. She was the only person in the Avatar's group that he felt even remotely comfortable around, despite how unnerving it was that she seemed to sense what he was feeling as easily as she could sense where he was. He frowned a bit and wondered with alarm if he had been talking out loud without realizing it. But Toph began to explain.

"I can feel your blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rate change when you think. You're as bad as Sugar Queen; she's a noisy thinker too."

"I am?" asked Katara as her head popped up from behind Appa. This was news to her and she was suddenly interested in what Toph had to say.

"Yeah," she said matter-of-factly, "it's quite amusing actually. But, between the two of you I may never get a moments peace again." Brushing the crumbs from her hands, she turned her unseeing eyes towards Zuko and continued. "And you know, for educated royalty, you aren't very bright."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked sharply, feeling slightly wounded by her sudden insult.

"Well, if you were smart you'd realize that Aang could still be your key to going home."

Zuko scowled. "I already told you that it wouldn't have made any difference if I had captured…" he began, but Toph interrupted.

"Not as your prisoner, you dolt, but as your ally," she snorted impatiently. Zuko was stunned into silence as the truth of her words struck him like a brick in the face.

"She has a point, nephew," interjected Iroh softly. "The Avatar's destiny is to defeat Fire Lord Ozai, and your sister will have to be dealt with as a matter of course to achieve that goal. Should he succeed in all of this, then you will be the only heir to your father's throne." As the depth of his uncle's statement hit him, Zuko unexpectedly realized two things: one, he wasn't sure he wanted the throne anymore, and two; it wasn't really his to claim.

"You mean _your_ throne," Zuko replied quietly.

Katara, who had finished feeding Appa and was now listening with interest to this small exchange, almost gasped as she snapped her eyes over to Iroh, his expression unreadable. She could have smacked herself for not realizing the implications of Zuko and Iroh's relationship before this, and she was trying to put her astonished thoughts into words when Toph beat her to it.

"You're the Dragon of the West," she breathed with obvious awe, having only just made the connection herself.

"Yes," Iroh nodded gravely, "I was." Turning back to Zuko, he continued, "and if I wanted to be Fire Lord I would have argued for my birthright years ago when it was taken from me."

"Why didn't you?" Toph asked, never afraid to put people to hard questions. Iroh sighed sadly before answering.

"It wasn't as important anymore after I lost my son."

Katara was about to say something, some word of comfort or apology, when the sound of drumming from the bay below snapped everyone back to the moment.

"The war drums…" she murmured, and then spoke up, ending the conversation short. "We have to go. There's still a lot to be done before that barge gets here."

* * *

"Sokka, will you quit worrying? Toph and Katara can handle themselves," Aang said for the third time to his pacing friend. He had to admit he was worried too, but letting Sokka know that wouldn't help matters. Besides, he knew he should trust Toph's judgment; she could tell better than anyone else could if Zuko was trying to trick everyone and, so far, she had given no indication that he could not be trusted. In fact, she seemed more than willing to accept him as part of the group.

"But he's not even cuffed! Toph left him cut loose all night and," Sokka ranted, but Aang cut him short.

"Did anything happen?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Then stop worrying," he said with an exasperated sigh. He was about to say more when the tribal drums started and instead asked, "What's with the drums?"

"War council," stated Sokka simply, "dad's gathering all the men to go over the attack plan." He was suddenly very tired and more than a little nervous. Hakoda had seemed fairly confident in the young man's ideas the night before, but now Sokka wasn't so sure they could pull it off.

Aang and Sokka headed to the middle of the camp where the tribesmen were gathering. As he made his way through the crowd with Aang to stand near Hakoda, he turned looked back over his shoulder at the bluff where he spotted his sister, Toph, Iroh, and Zuko walking down to the camp with Appa trailing behind. Seeing this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and didn't say a thing when Aang whispered to him.

"See? I told you they were fine."

* * *

Zuko felt like an animal going to the slaughter as he walked toward the camp. Even though Katara had assured him and his uncle that they wouldn't be harmed, he still couldn't help but be nervous, and the fact that Iroh seemed completely at ease did nothing to assuage his fears. So he was more than a little relieved to find that all the men were already gathered in a large semi circle in the middle of the camp, allowing them to fall in at the back of the group unnoticed except by Aang, Sokka, and the tribe leader, who were facing the assembly. He caught the Avatar's gaze and there was a flicker of a smile in the boy's eyes, as though trying to reassure the anxious ex-prince. It worked, although Zuko wasn't quite sure why. But seeing it, he relaxed nonetheless and listened intently to the speech being given; realizing with a bit of dismay that he'd already missed about half of it.

"Once the decoys are in place, we'll station the fleet behind these two outcroppings," Hakoda said, pointing out over the water to either side of the bay as he continued, "and when the barge is out in the open, we will strike. Remember that the Dai Li should remain as unharmed as possible; our goal is containment. The Earth King will not be able to win back their loyalty otherwise. Are there any questions?" asked Hakoda as he finished. Hearing none from the crowd, he dismissed the men saying, "Very well then, let's get to work."

As the crowd dispersed and people started hurrying off to their tasks, Zuko suddenly felt very useless. Wondering if his uncle felt the same way, he noticed that Aang and Katara were already discussing something with him, a speech from what little Zuko could make out from where he stood. Looking around for the only other person he felt even the most remote kinship too, he was disappointed to see that Toph was also being given some instructions from Sokka and the tribe leader, but he was too far away to hear any of it.

At that moment, Zuko felt like the loneliest person in the world. He realized abruptly, with great sorrow, that nobody wanted him here or seemed to care about him at all. He was just a piece of baggage as far as they were concerned and it pained him. There was a time when this would make him furious, but today, it merely made him feel dejected, abandoned, and strangely humble. It was a completely new sensation, and he wasn't quite sure what to do about it. He tried to summon forth some indignation but none came, and he wondered, almost idly, what was wrong with him.

The sudden arrival of a small, furry lemur on his shoulder finally shook him from his bleak thoughts. Startled, he looked into the intelligent, expectant eyes for moment. They stared at him calmly, glanced back over to where the others were finishing up their conversations, and then locked back onto the prince while chirping an incomprehensible purr that almost seemed to ask 'what are you waiting for?' At last, something locked away deep inside Zuko clicked, and he took a calming breath. _If they aren't going to _give_ me something to do, then I'll _ask_ for something. _And he set off with a determined stride to talk to the Avatar.


	6. Ch 6 Redemption

Zuko had only taken about three steps toward the Avatar when he started to feel his resolve waver, as it occurred to him that he had no idea what he was going to say. It didn't help matters when he realized he wasn't going to be able to talk to him alone either, since his friends were all gathering around him and looking toward the banished prince expectantly. Maybe he should start by asking to speak with him in private. But then, that might arouse suspicion and he certainly didn't want that either. As his mind raced to find a way to keep from looking as foolish as he felt, he was suddenly spared any embarrassment when the tribe leader stepped forward to address him.

"My daughter tells me you are the one who warned us about the Dai Li's intention to attack," he said, his hand resting proudly on Katara's shoulder. Not quite trusting his own voice yet, Zuko merely nodded. The discovery that this man was the water tribe sibling's father made him even more nervous than before. Surely, he must hate him for all the misery he'd inflicted on his children. So when Hakoda spoke again, Zuko was more than a little stunned at what he had to say.

"Then my men and I owe you much, perhaps even our lives. You have my gratitude." And he extended his hand towards the shocked fire bender. Out of pure instinct and before he even realized what he was doing, Zuko put his hand forth as well, and Hakoda clasped it at the wrist in a warrior's handshake. Finally finding his voice, Zuko responded.

"I'd like to help even more, if I can. But I'm afraid I didn't arrive in time to hear the entire strategy." Zuko was a bit surprised at the sound of his own humility, but Hakoda gave him no time to dwell on it for he quickly started relaying the plan.

"Katara and Aang will be building ice decoys of the ships out on the water to lure the barge out into the harbor. While the Dai Li concentrate their attack on the decoys, we will attempt to disarm and disable them. Your uncle has agreed to help the Earth King write a speech to deliver to the Dai Li to try and win back their loyalty. We intend to use smoke bombs to help obscure the decoys but…"

"An unnatural fog in the late afternoon might be a little suspicious," finished Zuko before he thought better than to interrupt. Hakoda seemed un-phased and continued.

"Yes," he nodded, "We are trying to think of ways to slow them down until night fall or daybreak. Sokka suggested that Toph create a landslide in the river canyon but…"

"The Dai Li are earth benders and it wouldn't delay them much." Zuko cut him off again and, as soon as he did so, mentally slapped himself for being rude…twice. He was far too accustomed to not needing to worry about speaking out of turn and he was certain he was going to try this man's patience if he didn't start holding his tongue.

"I told you so," muttered Toph as she poked Sokka in the ribs, eliciting a small 'ow!' and an angry pout from the boy. Hakoda continued, seemingly oblivious of the interruptions.

"We are open to suggestions, if you have any. I'm afraid we are running short on ideas." He sounded almost apologetic. Zuko pursed his lips together for a moment in thought.

"I think I know of a way to buy you a little more time," he said at last, then paused before continuing. "Do you have a pair of broadswords by chance?"

* * *

Aang had been watching the exchange between Hakoda and Zuko with extreme interest, still a little unsure what to make of it. He'd been careful not to tell too much about the fire benders, merely stating that they were fugitives from the fire nation and that Iroh was going to teach him fire bending. If Hakoda had known the full history behind them, especially where Zuko was concerned, he doubted the tribe leader would have been so accepting. As Hakoda went off to find some weapons for Zuko, Aang turned to his former enemy.

"I think you should know that I really appreciate your wanting to help," he started hesitantly. "But, I'm a little confused as to why you are doing this. You don't have to, you know."

Zuko nodded. "I know."

"Then…why _are_ you doing this?" asked Aang, genuinely puzzled.

Zuko mulled this over for a moment before answering. He honestly didn't know why. While he certainly felt somewhat obligated to help as a way of reconciling his earlier betrayal and show appreciation for his rescue, that wasn't what had prompted him to come forth and offer assistance. At last, he gave the only reason that came to mind.

"Azula has always delighted in making my life miserable; taking every opportunity to humiliate me. For a change, I'd like give some of her own back to her."

"Even if it means helping the Avatar?" Iroh asked quietly.

This made Zuko pause, looking down at the ground as he considered carefully the weight of what his uncle was saying. He thought back to Toph's earlier comment. It wasn't as if he had anything to lose, in fact, there was much that possibly could be gained by it. As he made his decision, he looked up at his uncle, a familiar fire burning in his amber eyes.

"_Especially_ if it means helping the Avatar."

* * *

Sokka wasn't about to let Zuko go back to the war barge alone. He still didn't trust the exiled prince, and insisted that he and Toph come with him. Of course, the reason he gave aloud was that it may be more than one person could handle, but he didn't think Zuko really bought it. However, there was no argument and for some reason that made Sokka even more uneasy.

They had flown on Appa to a sheltered bluff above the river, out of sight from below, and made their way unseen to the riverbank. Getting on the boat unnoticed was going to be harder this time without the benefits of a water bender, and Toph almost refused to go. But Sokka finally convinced her, telling her to simply hang on to him and keep the hollow reed in her mouth in an upright position. As they surfaced against the bulk of the ship, they could hear a commotion coming from above them. The Dai Li were still looking for their prisoners.

"Ok, I'll lead them off, and you two sneak in and sabotage the engines," Sokka suggested, as he tossed his boomerang into the porthole like a grappling hook and prepared to climb the robe that was attached to it.

"Wait!" hissed Zuko. "You should let me draw their attention."

"Why? You think I can't handle myself in a fight?" Sokka said hotly.

"I have no doubt you can take them on," Zuko with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He quickly continued as Sokka scowled, "the point is they are already looking for _me_, so they will definitely give chase. But if they see _you_, they may get suspicious and the whole ambush could be compromised." Even though Sokka didn't trust him, he had to admit the logic in what Zuko said.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But if you double cross us…" he warned.

"We don't have time for this," Zuko growled, cutting Sokka short. "Just get to the engines, disable them, and then get off the ship. I'll make sure you have plenty of time to get away and then meet you back at the shore." And without waiting for any further argument, he swiftly climbed the rope and into the porthole. From below, Toph and Sokka could hear Zuko's plan being set into motion.

"Looking for someone?"

"There's one of them, after him!" There was a shuffling and clanging from above, and then the sounds trailed away until there was only silence.

"Ok, Toph, grab on to me. We're going up."

* * *

Aang and Katara stood on the little skiff bobbing merrily in the bay, hard at work trying to bend the water into believable ice decoys. Even with the two of them working together, it was going much more slowly than they had expected. Only two decoys were finished and they had five left to do.

There had been almost no conversation between the two since they started, both of them seeming lost in their own thoughts. As they started working on the third decoy, Aang finally broke the silence.

"Katara?"

"Yes Aang?"

"What do you think of Zuko?"

Katara paused in her bending for a moment. While his question hadn't been very specific, she knew that he was asking whether or not she trusted him. She resumed bending a wave as she answered slowly.

"I don't know what to think really. I want to believe he has changed, but I did that the other night…and…" her voice trailed off as her brow furrowed.

"Toph seems to think he's being truthful," Aang offered.

"I know," Katara replied, "and I _do_ trust her judgment. She sees thing in people that no one else can, but…but that doesn't mean he won't change his mind." _Again,_ she thought to herself bitterly, as she and Aang pulled up another wave and froze it into place.

"What do _you_ think?" She asked cautiously as she looked over at him. Aang stopped bending for a moment as he considered his reply, then began bending again as he answered.

"I think at the time, he still believed capturing me was the only way he could go home. But that really doesn't seem to be an option anymore," he said, sounding genuinely sympathetic of the banished prince's plight.

"Aang," she began, taking both of his hands in hers, "you need to do what you think is right. And if that means giving Zuko a chance…well…then I'll give him one too." And she smiled warmly at him. He beamed at her in return.

"Thanks, Katara."

And with that, they resumed their shipbuilding.

* * *

Feeling much better now that she was out of the water and able to 'see', Toph quickly sensed her way to the ships engine room. Once inside, they quickly bolted the door and, with a wicked little smile, Toph bent the metal latch into a jammed position.

"I love metal bending," she grinned.

"Good," said Sokka, trying to sound unimpressed, although in reality he was still quite amazed at her new technique, "then you can help bend up some of these gears and knobs." Cracking her knuckles, Toph set to work, making sure to only disable the engine and not destroy it completely (although she was sorely tempted to do the latter).

"I think that's good enough, Toph. Between the sealed door and the repairs, it should keep them from getting to the bay until sunrise. Let's get out of here."

Going to one of the metal walls, she ripped a small opening in it to allow them a way out, and then crunched the hole shut again. Listening and sensing for any stray Dai Li, they made their way back to the boulder room where Sokka let Toph slide down the rope and into the water. Meanwhile the engine was starting to clang at the rear of the ship and Sokka waited until the noise was loud enough to cover the sound of his decent before dropping to the river below with a splash.

They could still hear the sound of fighting on the deck of the ship. Zuko was apparently holding true to his word. But as the sound of the engine reached a critical level, the commotion above subsided. Risking a quick look up, Sokka could see Zuko near the railing just as the fire bender glanced down. Their eyes locked for barely a moment, and the look in Zuko's eyes made Sokka's blood go cold.

"No," he whispered, as he watched Zuko sheathe his blades and surrender.

"What's going on?" whispered Toph anxiously, clinging to Sokka so she wouldn't sink. But he only 'shushed' her, trying desperately to hear what was being said.

"Where's the old man?" asked one of the agents.

"You won't find him," Zuko replied, "he's not here."

"What do you mean? Where is he?"

"Take me to who's in charge, and I'll let you all in on a little secret."


	7. Ch 7 Resolution

Sokka was ready to kill. Toph had enough sense not to make any comments to the furious young warrior as they sped back to the coast on Appa. And really, there wasn't anything she wanted to say; she was far too miserable. She felt even worse now than she had when they'd lost Appa in the desert and Aang had blamed her. Somehow, this was her fault too, for she had been the one to trust Zuko. And why shouldn't she? He had been truthful about everything, was so unhappy about what had happened between him and his sister and had genuinely been willing to help them fight the Dai Li. His sudden betrayal had her so confused that she merely hung her head and said nothing while Sokka vented his rage.

"I knew he couldn't be trusted! But does anyone ever listen to me? Oh no! I'm just Sokka, the stupid boomerang guy. We should have left him in that cell to rot."

Toph winced.

"What were you thinking anyway?" he shouted at her. "Why couldn't you just leave him behind? After all the things we told you about him, how could you just drag him along?!"

"I'm sorry," she mumbled miserably.

"Now, thanks to you, this whole ambush is going to fall apart! People are going to get hurt, maybe even…" but his rant was interrupted by a small sound next to him. What he saw when he glanced down took all the fire right out of him. Toph was crying. Bravely, quietly, but definitely crying.

"Toph," Sokka said remorsefully, "I'm sorry, I didn't really mean…"

"No," she interrupted, in a shaky voice trying very hard to sound matter-of-fact, "you're right. This _is_ all my fault."

"No, it isn't," he replied gently. "You can't help it if he lied."

"But that's just it, he didn't lie!" she half-sobbed. "Everything he said was the truth, I'm sure of it," she finished weakly, wondering now if perhaps she had been wrong.

"Don't worry. We'll figure this out. We'll just modify the plan and we'll make it work," he said, wishing he could think of something to say to take back his earlier harsh words. Then he realized something. "Actually, it _is_ a good thing you dragged him along." When she didn't answer, he continued.

"He's the one who told us about the attack in the first place."

"Thanks, Sokka," she said quietly, feeling only slightly better, and they continued on to the bay in silence.

* * *

Aang and Katara had only two ships left to build and were taking a break for lunch at the camp when Appa returned with Toph and Sokka. The first thing they both noticed was that Zuko wasn't with them, and Katara could tell by the look in her brother's eyes that he had bad news; _very_ bad news.

"Where's…" Aang started, but stopped as soon as he saw Toph's face. Remembering that expression from the desert, his heart sank and his eyes widened in shock.

"What happened?" asked Katara in a quiet voice, but she already knew the answer.

"Zuko changed his mind again," replied Sokka darkly. "I think he really _is_ schizophrenic."

By now, Iroh had come over to them, a look of worry on his face, and arrived just as Sokka had answered. He bowed his head with a defeated sigh.

"Our strategy is useless then," the old general stated sadly. "We will have to face them head on." Turning to Sokka he asked, "How much time do we have?"

"Toph managed to disable the engine. I figure we have until sunrise," stated Sokka. Iroh nodded.

"Then we should prepare ourselves for battle."

* * *

As the sky paled in the pre-light before dawn, a light fog hung over the bay making Sokka all the more bitter about how things had turned out.

"This _so_ would have worked too," he grumbled to no one in particular. "Good strategy, cooperative weather; but _oh no_, Zuko has to play psychopath and throw a perfectly good battle plan right out the window!"

As the Dai Li ship rounded the last curve of the river canyon and came into view, he clenched his fists tightly. All the water tribe ships were at the mouth of the river, ready and waiting for battle. Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, Iroh, and the Earth King were gathered on the deck of Hakoda's ship. Through the light haze at the mouth of the river, they could make out nearly 50 figures on the deck of the war barge. Zuko was there also, backed by the Dai Li as though they were his own personal army.

The ship was closing in on the water tribe's position, and everyone waited for the barge to reach striking distance. Suddenly the war ship stopped and Zuko's voice could be heard across the water.

"Where is the Earth King?" he demanded as the ship drifted close enough for them to see all it's occupants clearly through mist. There was no reply.

"Where is he?" Zuko shouted again.

When the question was first posed, the Earth King had half a mind to slink below deck and hide. But when it was asked again, he stepped forward with a sudden burst of courage and called out with as much authority and bravery as he could muster.

"I am here!" he boomed, and surprised everyone, including himself, with how commanding his voice actually sounded in that moment.

What Zuko did next shocked everyone beyond the point of reaction. Locking his eyes on the Earth King, he knelt down on one knee with his head bowed, and as he did so, every single one of the Dai Li agents dropped to their knees as well, leaning their bodies out over their legs and clasping their hands in front of their heads in supplication to their sovereign.

"We are Your Majesty's humble servants," called the commanding officer of the Dai Li.

Every jaw on Hakoda's ship dropped in unison as Zuko looked up at them with a decidedly satisfied grin. The Earth King quickly snapped his mouth shut and blinked. Then, leaning back to where Iroh was standing next to him, whispered without looking over.

"I guess I won't be giving that speech then?" he asked uncertainly.

"Apparently not," replied a shocked Iroh, and then continued with obvious disappointment in his voice, "And it was such a fine speech too. The best I ever wrote."

* * *

Iroh and Toph had already gone back to the camp to have some tea, the Earth King was in conference with his now loyal Dai Li agents, working with Hakoda and Sokka on strategies for retaking Ba Sing Se, and Zuko stood at the front of the barge, his hands resting lightly on the railing as he looked out at the sun rising over the bay, burning off the fog and lighting the water with brilliant shades of orange, pink, and gold. He kept his eyes on the horizon as Aang walked up and stood next to him.

"That was really amazing." He said quietly. When Zuko made no reply, he looked up at his former enemy and asked, "How did you do it?" At first, Aang thought he wasn't going to get an answer, and was just about to give up on getting one when Zuko finally spoke.

"Azula would not have shown them any mercy. As soon as her troops got into Ba Sing Se, she would have no use for them, and would…dispose of them without a second thought, the same way she would dispose of her own family. I simply made sure theyunderstood that."

"So..." Aang started slowly, "does this mean you will be coming with us to…"

"Yes." Zuko cut him off before Aang could say the words; he didn't need to hear them. There was a minute of almost, but not quite, awkward silence before Zuko spoke again.

"So what are you still doing standing here?" He asked without looking down at Aang.

"Huh?"

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for a fire bending lesson?" inquired the ex-prince nonchalantly, and then turned his eyes down toward the young Avatar without moving his head. He held this glance until it was rewarded with a slow, beaming smile from Aang.

"You bet!" he crowed, whipping a ball of air beneath his feet as he replied and zipping off around the deck. Too late, he noticed Katara coming up from below and swerved to avoid a collision, sending himself flying off the side of the barge and into the water with a splash.

"Aang!" Cried a concerned Katara, rushing to the side of the ship and peering into the water where Aang landed.

"I'm ok!" he shouted merrily, and then bent a wave of water and started surfing it back to the shore. Katara just chuckled as she walked over to Zuko and leaned against the railing next to him, looking out at the sun rising over the bay.

"Traveling with him is going to be…interesting, isn't it?" He asked without taking his eyes off the sunrise. Katara laughed and shook her head.

"Zuko, you have _no_ idea."

_fin_

_Disclaimer: all characters in the preceding work of fan-fiction are the intellectual property of Nickelodeon and, as such, they reserve the right to remove this story at their sole discretion._


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